"That night the wind came hard off the
Pacific, an El Nino event that would blow three inches of rain onto the
roofs of San Diego."

I have to say that as opening
lines go this one did not hook me at all. My first thought as a writer
was, that's just a creative way of saying, 'It was a dark and stormy
night'. I put the book down.

However, my husband picked it up
and read it. In one day. He told me that I didn't give the book a fair
chance and that it kept him guessing until the very end. That's
exceptionally high praise from a man who's always known who did it by
the middle of every mystery he's ever read. It convinced me to read past
the first line, and to put aside my concerns about the suspect's name.
Sally Rainwater. Rainwater? In a book that starts with a storm? To say I
was reading the book with a high degree of cynicism is an
understatement. It would take a lot of talent to pull me into this
story.

Mr. Parker pulled it off. He
soon had me wanting to read more and wondering just who had killed old
Pete Braga. The list of suspects was formidable. Pete wasn't the nicest
man who ever lived. He'd killed a man in 1952 and walked away with a
ruling of self-defense. Even the lead detective on the case had reasons
for hating him. The man Pete had killed was McMichael's grandfather.

Pete had connections in several
major financial circles as well as owning a prosperous car dealership.
He'd disowned several of his relatives and was considering leaving most
of his fortune to Sally Rainwater.

The plot was intriguing and the
setting was real. Characterization of the protagonist was well developed
and the antics of Grothke Sr., Braga's attorney were a much-appreciated
lift to the mood of this dark tale.

Perhaps the biggest problem I
had with the story was the characterization of Sally Rainwater. When she
and McMichaels become a couple I'm a little surprised. McMichaels
feelings are clear but Sally's are ambiguous. The sex scene feels
gratuitous and it isn't until much later in the book that the
scene is made essential to the plot.

The subplots twist and turn and
make this crime noir novel an entertaining read.